Happenstance
by J.Mocha
Summary: Don't tell me you've fallen for me, Hyuuga." "W-what!" She just landed herself in a compromising situation with Sasuke, and seemed unable to get away from him after that. Are these the workings of fate or mere happenstance?
1. Chapter 1 TOW the Camera

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

"_Sometimes sought out, sometimes rejected, sometimes around by force of habit or mere happenstance." -Anonymous_

Chapter 1: The One with the Camera

_Click_.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was already low on the horizon, spreading a beautiful orange hue across the sky and forming shadows among the houses lining the streets. It was a wonderful cloudless day and Hinata took every opportunity to use her "new" camera, which was not new at all. In fact, she had found it while rummaging through her family's old storage room in one of the huge dusty cardboard boxes piled on top of each other.

The day had begun slowly for her. She couldn't train because of the injuries she had acquired during Team 8's last mission, to which her father pointed out to her disapprovingly. She was advised not to tire herself too much for a few days. She couldn't train, and she didn't feel like gardening either, so she just lay on her bed all morning counting the cracks on the ceiling and probably the walls too. When boredom finally overwhelmed her, she decided to wander around the Hyuuga compound, eager to find something with which she could kill time.

It was by mere accident that she came upon the old storage room, which was located at the edge of the Main family's part of the compound. She was just walking down the hall when she saw Neji, purposeful strides coming her way. She had turned a corner then, gliding through a narrow hallway leading to the gardens. Her cousin still scared her a bit, even though they were on better terms now. But still…

That was how she came upon an old shed surrounded by a few rose bushes. There was an uneven stone pathway leading towards it. She had passed this garden countless of times before but had not thought the shed was particularly interesting. It seemed to be the sort of type you walk by without really noticing.

Curious and bored as she was that day, she walked up the stone steps until she was in front of the door. She turned the knob. It was unlocked. She went in to find herself surrounded by several rows of cardboard boxes piled neatly on top of each other covering the walls from floor to ceiling. It was amazing really how the Hyuugas still managed to make an old storage room so _neat_.

Hinata reached for one of the boxes on the lowest pile. She had expected to find some scrolls, maybe even a few old weapons. What she didn't expect was to find several journals with pages torn and yellowed from old age. Apparently they were owned by past family members. She put them back inside, neither having the interest nor the energy to read one of them. She reached for another box. This time she found a few pieces of broken mechanical devices, a wall clock with a cracked face, a calculator with some of its keys missing, and of course, her camera. It seemed to be in perfect condition minus the dust and a few small scratches here and there. She still had her doubts though, so she decided to try it out.

She had searched the whole compound for film to go with the camera, after finding out that it was empty. It was an hour later that she found one. All that was wrong with the camera was its loud noise when she clicks, but Hinata figured it was normal. The only way to reassure her that it wasn't broken was if the pictures would turn out right after she developed the film. So she had spent the entire afternoon, walking around Konoha randomly shooting at anything that seemed remotely interesting.

Here she was, strolling along the sidewalks, almost bumping into a food stall once. She apologized after, of course. Hinata pointed her camera from the sky towards the training grounds to the left. She only had one shot left before the film was ready to be developed. The sun had already disappeared and it was getting hard for her to see through the lens without using her bloodline. Finally lowering the camera down, she was about to turn to way towards the Hyuuga compound when she heard some noises near the trees like metal hitting wood.

'Who could be training this late?', she wondered. Curiosity getting the best of her, she slowly approached the training grounds where she heard the noise, camera poised as if ready to take a shot. She silently walked around a few trees and let out a gasp when she found Sasuke deftly throwing kunais onto a tree, _shirtless_ and covered with sweat. His bare chest gleamed under the disappearing sunlight. The shadows emphasized the contours of his face, and the well-developed muscles of his arms, rippling as he threw several kunais onto a tree.

That would have been enough to make most girls swoon. To Hinata, however, it was a bit different. Sure she had seen several guys without their shirts on. She was on a team with two of them for God's sake! And she had already seen Neji in the same condition too, albeit too many times.

She hadn't meant to stare at Sasuke longer than was appropriate. It was Sakura and Ino's hobby, not hers. No, definitely not. So why the hell couldn't she stop staring? Next thing she knew, there was a bright flash and a loud clicking noise. It took a while for her to figure out that it was her camera. She had accidentally pressed her finger on the button when she was gripping her camera too hard. She hoped Sasuke didn't notice. Tough luck with that.

In a split second that was even quicker than her camera flash, Sasuke had grabbed her from behind, one arm encircling her neck. Her surprise had caused her to drop her camera to Sasuke's waiting hand. She gulped, sure to be in trouble soon. If only she could quickly find a way to escape…

"Hyuuga, isn't it?" She felt his breath prickling her ear. She was sweating now. "I didn't expect _you _out of all the people to be spying on me."

Her eyes widened, her mouth open ready to retort, "I-I wasn't..!"

"Then why did you take a picture of me, hm?", he said, bringing his face closer, taunting her further. She could feel his smirk on the side of her face. "

The only other reason could be…" A pause. "Don't tell me you've fallen for me, Hyuuga."

"W-what?!" Hinata shrieked, eyes widening. She struggled futilely against him. He was too strong for her. 'H-how could he think-?!"

"No?" He seemed to be contemplating on something. She wasn't sure what exactly. "I'm just going to take this camera of yours then."

Her head whipped around almost bumping into his. "What? Why?!"

By now, she had successfully struggled free of his arms, and was now shrieking at him, to his amusement.

"Because…", he said, drawing out the word as if teasing her. "It has a picture of me in it, that one _you_ took without my permission."

She lowered her head guiltily, hands under her chin and index fingers pressing together. This was a habit that was really hard to get rid of, especially when she was nervous.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I'll have the pictures developed tomorrow. I'll only take the picture of me. I can give you rest… tomorrow. " He said as he took out the film and handed back the camera to her, but not before taking a picture of her bewildered face. Her eyes blinked rapidly from the bright flash.

"Payback" With that and a smirk, he quickly turned away. He disappeared before she could even start a protest.

xXxXxXxXxXx

The following afternoon, Hinata found herself, yet again, wandering along the streets of Konoha, camera in hand with a new roll of film. It was crowded since it was just after lunchtime. She looked around. No sign of Sasuke. She sighed in relief. He intimidated her, and she had no plans of meeting him again anytime soon. That's for sure.

'I don't care if he took all those pictures. He can have them as long as he stays away from me.'

As if reading her thoughts, Sasuke had appeared behind a group of people in front of a shop. It was too soon for them to meet. She hadn't brought up her courage yet. Hinata immediately ducked away, hoping against hopes that he wouldn't see her. But as usual and as expected of the legendary Uchiha, he spotted her right away.

"Hey, Hyuuga!" He called out to her, making a few heads turn their way. There was no escape now. To turn away would simply be too impolite. Not to mention it will be the sole topic for gossip among the villagers for the whole week. After all, who ever heard of someone, a _girl_, turning down _the_ Uchiha Sasuke. She certainly did not want that kind of attention, regardless of how much she really really wanted to run away from him at that moment.

Sasuke walked up to her in long confident strides, seemingly unfazed by the stares he received from several girls. When he was only a few feet from her, he said, "Here." He handed her a small envelope which she assumed contained the pictures from yesterday.

Hinata blinked, unsure of what to say. She let out a squeak when she saw him glaring at her. _What'd she do?_

"Um, er, thanks?" She stammered, the ever present blush on her face.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Hyuuga." And then, as quickly as he had come, he left. She was standing there in the middle of the street holding the envelope and her camera. She had barely spoken three words to him. She let out a relieved sigh, 'That's good.' Then she turned in the opposite direction of Sasuke.

Hinata had not noticed the red in his cheeks as he turned away, or the small smile that had replaced the usual frown on his face as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop.

xXxXxXxXxXx

After she had her dinner with her father and little sister, she went directly towards her bedroom. They didn't seem to have minded at all. Exhausted from the day's events, she plopped down on her bed and grabbed the nearest pillow. Her eyes closed and she thought of a dark-haired boy with that arrogant smirk on his face. She groaned and squeezed her eyes, trying to get rid of the memory. She did not like him one bit.

'Although I do have to admit… he _is_ good-looking.' Her thoughts led to images of Sasuke with his bare chest covered with sweat. Eyes widening and a deep red blush on her face, she shot up and shook her head. 'No! I mustn't think that!'

Her eyes swept across the room and caught a glimpse of the envelope lying carelessly on her dresser. Seizing the opportunity to occupy her thoughts with something different and more _appropriate_, she opened it and took out the pictures. One by one she scanned them, pausing every now and then when she found a picture that was interesting. There seems to be no problem with the camera after all. Once she finished, she couldn't help but feel that there was something missing, something she had forgotten. Frowning, she scanned the pictures again.

'Of course, Sasuke took his picture, but what-" Suddenly, her eyes widened as if remembering something important, which was important indeed. She gasped in realization. Sasuke took the picture with her in it!

The picture, in which she had been in a disheveled state, her hair sticking out on all sides, sweat rolling down the side of her pale face, her expression of shock, of pure embarrassment… He took that picture!

Hinata groaned. He's probably laughing at her now.

xXxXxXxXxXx

On another part of the village, in an estate that was almost as vast as the Hyuuga compound, Sasuke slept peacefully. Beside him, in the first drawer of his bedside table, placed under a number scrolls was a small photo. In it was a girl in the foreground with short dark hair, white eyes widened and mouth slightly open in shock, and a cute blush spread across her face.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: It's a weird photo of Hinata for Sasuke to have but I think it's cute anyway.

You know those authors who keep begging for reviews? Well, I'm one of them.


	2. Chapter 2 TOW the Gift

A/N: As a response to a question about the timeline, Naruto and co are still kids, 12-13 years old.

-

Chapter 2: The One with the Gift

-

"Pleeeaase, Hinata?"

Hinata stared at the box Ino was holding. It was wrapped with glittery purple paper and a yellow ribbon to boot. There was a note, too. She could barely read the writing but she supposed Ino didn't want her to anyway.

"Please, Hinata? Just this one time." Ino looked at her through practiced puppy eyes. Hinata blinked, then sighed. Ino's gift wasn't a problem at all. No. It's the fact that the blonde had asked _her_ to give it to someone, a _special_ someone and we all know who Ino's 'special' someone is.

"All I'm asking is that you just give this to Sasuke-kun. Just a few seconds of handing over the gift, and that's it."

Hinata begs to differ. It was not _just_ it. She could still remember the encounters she had with him the past few days, and she was not, absolutely _not_ going to meet him again if she could help it.

"Please, Hina-chan?" Ino was almost desperate now, she noted. Usually, it would be no problem for her to do a favor for a friend, but this was different. It involved the Uchiha. There was no way she'd say yes.

"If you do, I'll arrange a date for you and Naruto…"

And those were the magic words.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Hinata could not believe it. Right now, she was walking up the street toward Uchiha Sasuke's house, holding the purple box she suspected was sprayed with a heavy flowery perfume. She cursed whoever it was that gave her a gullible personality.

She had asked Ino the reason why she, Hinata, and not Sakura, Shikamaru, or Chouji, had to be the one to hand over the gift to Sasuke. Ino then began a simple explanation of: "If it would be any other girl, they'd try to sabotage my plan." Hinata had asked right then, "And that is?" Ino turned her nose up in the air. "To make Sasuke aware of my 'mysterious' personality, of course." Hinata thought of telling her that the Uchiha would still probably know it was from her, even by sending the gift anonymously, but instead opted to just ask, "And why not the other guys?" Ino then gave her a 'You-Seriously-Don't-Know?' look with a response of "If it were any other guy, they'd probably get jealous and would try to hurt _my_ Sasuke-kun." Hinata threw back an 'Are-You-Crazy?' look. Who cares if Sasuke gets hurt? She definitely knows _she_ wouldn't.

She sighed. Only a few blocks left until she reaches the Uchiha mansion, she began doubting if it would be better to just turn around. She pictured what Ino's reaction would be and decided that it would be much safer to just get on with it. The blonde could be so scary sometimes, even Sasuke couldn't beat her. After all, just as Ino said, it would only take a few minutes…right? Maybe after, she could him ask where he put the photo of her from a few days ago.

When she looked up from the pavement, she was surprised to find herself in front of the Uchiha gates. She began contemplating. 'This is my last chance. Should I continue? Or just leave?'

Once she decided that there would be much more harm if she were to leave and be placed under Ino's wrath, than to meet Sasuke again for a few seconds of giving him the present, she tentatively rang the doorbell.

The echo of the bell continued for a while and still there was no answer. She tried again. Nothing. And again, and again, and again. Still nothing.

Her shoulders slumped in exasperation. Clearly, no one was inside. Based on her luck, it would be a while before Sasuke arrives. Frowning, she pondered on what to do. 'This is not good. I do _not_ want to know what Ino would do if I just leave.' Her legs began to give way from all the walking, so she sat down on the pavement beside the gates and deliberated again. 'I could just leave the box here, but what if it gets stolen or something?'

Hinata, too deep in her thoughts, hadn't seen Sasuke turning up around the corner. It was only when he was in front of her that she finally noticed. She looked up, and squeaked.

Sasuke threw her a thoroughly amused look.

'When did he-?'

"Are you just going to sit there and stare at me all day, Hyuuga?"

Taking hold of Ino's gift, she quickly stood up. Eyes lowered, she thought of what she would say to him. Should she just hand over the box? Peering behind her bangs, she saw him eyeing the gift. She began to speak. Only, Sasuke beat her to it.

"May I know what you are holding, Hyuuga?" She raised her eyes and saw his questioning look. He probably thought the gift was for him. Well, he was right about that. He also probably thought that it was from her, which was very _very_ wrong.

She started to explain, bringing up the gift closer to him. "This is for you, just… not from me."

He eyed the purple box for a moment, then at her. "You're saying that you were asked to give it me."

She nodded.

"Well, tell whoever sent you that I don't accept strange gifts." Then, he turned away.

"W-what?" She lowered her arms, taken aback. She started to panic when he was almost at the gates. "W-wait, WAIT!"

Sasuke turned his head to face her, and let out an annoyed "What?"

Hinata fidgeted, fighting the urge to back away. She was not giving up! She mumbled, "A… a friend asked me to give this to you, so would you please-?"

"No."

Sasuke was opening the gates now. This time, Hinata grabbed him by the arm, to his surprise.

"Listen," She gave him a slightly stern look that almost made him speechless. She unconsciously squeezed his arm. The faintest tinge of pink appeared on cheeks but either Hinata didn't notice it or ignored it all together. She continued, "I'm desperate here. My friend is going to kill me if I fail to give this to you!"

Quickly recovering, he replied with a grunt and a "Why don't you just tell her I didn't accept it then? I'm sure she'll understand."

He had said it so easily, but the reality was Ino most probably would _not_ understand. Hinata only knew how crazy women are because of love. Didn't Sakura almost kill Naruto once just for insulting Sasuke?

"Uchiha-san," She let out a breath that she hadn't known she was holding. "Perhaps you wouldn't understand, but I'm willing to do you favor if you would just accept the gift, please."

He peered at her face for a long while, apparently thinking of what she had just said. Hinata held her breath. She didn't know what to do if he'll refuse again.

Sasuke sighed, a bit hesistant. And then, in a voice that was almost inaudible that Hinata had to strain her ears to hear him, he said, "Alright."

Hinata felt her heart did a whoop but was soon put back in place when she heard his next words.

"I want you to train me."

Hinata took a step back, releasing her hold on Sasuke. "What?"

He closed his eyes and sighed in annoyance. "I'm not going to repeat what I just said. I know you heard me."

"I…I know what you just said! B-but why?!" She nearly yelled in his ear. She didn't think she could be so loud, and apparently so did Sasuke.

"You have excellent chakra control, don't you? I needed someone to train with." Leave it to Sasuke to evade directly admitting his weakness.

Pursing her lips, she carefully deliberated the idea. What harm could it do? She would just have to train with him for a few hours. Besides, it feels good to know that she was better than him at something. Plus, she was going to have a date with Naruto after this.

She gave a nod. "Okay." Then she handed him Ino's gift, which he finally accepted.

He turned to the opened gates and before stepping inside, he spoke without looking at her. "Tomorrow. 6AM. Don't be late."

Before she could utter a protest or even ask him where he kept the picture of her a few days prior, he slammed the gates at her face.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So? How did it go?" Hinata sat on one side of Ino's bed, with the giggling blonde across from her. Right after Hinata successfully handed the gift to Sasuke, albeit with a few minor setbacks, Ino immediately took the surprised Hyuuga to her house for a few 'questionings'.

"Um, well…" Hinata contemplated on telling her that the Uchiha had only agreed to accept the gift for a favor in return, but decided against it. "He said he appreciated it."

The immediate response was a very loud squeal. "I knew it!"

The dark-haired girl across from her only sighed, certain that her friend had lost her mind to La-La land, if it weren't already. Maybe she'd believe what Sasuke has been trying to say all along. Some girls really _are _nuts.

She could only look at her friend. Ino was squealing and bouncing on the bed now, giving off boundless waves of delight. "Oh, Hina-chan! I think this would be the start of my romantic life with Sasuke-kun!"

It seemed to Hinata that Ino's squeals were endless. She cringed, fighting the temptation to cover her ears. 'Maybe I should've told her the truth.' But those thoughts crumbled away when Ino said something that made _Hinata_ squeal.

"Tomorrow evening, I'll make arrangements for your date with Naruto."

Lying wasn't so bad after all.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The moonlight shone through the windows of her bedroom. Hinata slept fitfully, twisting and tossing in her bed. After a while, she gave up and tossed her blankets off. She massaged her aching temples and muttered. 'Can't sleep.'

She was too nervous about her training with Sasuke and too excited for her date with Naruto that she couldn't sleep. She carefully thought out everything that would happen during their date. She had considered buying a new outfit but eventually decided not to. She didn't know much about the current trends anyway. She'd just end up making a fool of herself.

On her bedside table, the clock read 3:02AM. That was not good. Only three hours left before she had to train with Sasuke. She pictured herself walking in the Uchiha mansion looking like a zombie, and him looking at her with amusement clearly written on his face, plus that stupid smirk too! Hinata shook her head. She can't let that happen! She had embarrassed herself in front of him far too many times already.

She twisted again and glared at her nightstand that stood innocently on her bedside table, getting more and more irritated. She sighed, straightened, and gripped the sheets surrounding her, simultaneously thrashing her leg on the bed, 'Why is the damn house so quiet?! I can't stand it!'

With a grunt and a few more twisting and turning, she squeezed her eyes shut and brought her blanket closer to her chin. She hoped she'd be able to sleep soon. She had no such luck.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hinata was a strange sight to see indeed as she walked along the street toward Sasuke's house. Fortunately, only very few people were up this early. She considered disguising herself with a genjutsu, but she decided to preserve her energy for her date with Naruto. Why does she care what Sasuke thinks anyway?

She had finally arrived at the Uchiha gates, and then rang the doorbell. She was just on time. Footsteps were heard on the other side of the gate, which opened a few seconds later. It revealed Sasuke already in his training attire.

Slowly, almost deliberately, he eyed her from head to toe, and then…

"You look like someone who had just come back from the dead."

Puffy eyes narrowed at his own amused ones. Clearly, she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Without warning, she walked passed him and into his house. Sasuke only stared after her. If one knew the Hyuuga well, they'd know that this wasn't her usual attitude. The usually shy polite girl had become more like him, uncaring, irritated and snobby.

Not that those were good qualities.

Sasuke decided he liked her better this way.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: I updated earlier than was intended. Don't get used to it though. I'll be very busy this week. The next update would probably weeks later, just so you know. Please review! I'm open to suggestions.


	3. Chapter 3 Hinatasensei

Chapter 3: Hinata-sensei

.

It was nearing summer, which meant a particularly hot day in Konoha. Hinata had opted to wear only a thin coat for training with Sasuke, and the day could not have gotten worse. Sure, _she_ was training Sasuke so she was supposed to be the boss, right? That meant no sarcastic comments and no death glares from him either. But Sasuke acted like his usual self- an annoying pompous jerk. However, Hinata being Hinata, just stayed quiet and tolerated everything he threw her way, even _if_ she woke up in a bad mood this morning. It seemed to be working, because Sasuke appeared to be getting tired of trying to grate her.

"Why do I have to keep doing this?" He grumbled, while still concentrating on controlling the chakra in his feet to keep himself from falling right into the pond.

Hinata tried to keep the amusement from showing on her face. She tugged the top of her thin jacket to suppress her giggle. She had mastered this technique a long time ago and watching the so-called Legendary Uchiha like this, hovering above the water and crouching slightly with arms and feet spread about, boosted her almost nonexistent ego sky high.

At first, she wasn't exactly sure what she should begin with. Knowing that Sasuke probably wanted their training to be quick as possible (to prevent further ego damage on his part), she decided she could begin with a difficult but efficient technique.

And this was the result.

"This is just one of the basic techniques. If you can do this, the next ones would be a lot easier." She surprisingly spoke with much confidence, of which Sasuke had taken a mental note.

Once again, he grunted then focused more on controlling his chakra, watching as the water rippled around his feet. Waves crashed into each other then disappeared as they reached Hinata's feet.

Walking upward along a tree was easy, once he got the hang of it. This, however, proved a little more difficult. He wasn't keen on asking the Hyuuga for help nor did he expect her to last this long against his death glares. He had to give her credit for that.

Weeks before, Hinata would have been intimidated by his presence. But today was special. She was going to have a date with Naruto later tonight, and she was too happy and determined not to let anything ruin it. Even if it meant sacrificing a few hours of training with Sasuke.

She noted the slight wobble he made when he pushed too little chakra on his feet, and verbalized exactly that to him. "Too little."

He gave a small grunt in reply, and then gradually steadied his stance. Frowning deeply in concentration, tiny beads of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead.

"Try standing upright. It's much easier." Noticing the disbelieving look he gave her, she insisted. "Really."

Grumbling and with much hesitance, he followed her instructions, straightened his knees, lowered his arms, and fell… right into the pond.

"Uchiha-san!" Hinata cried out in surprise. Certain that he was now angry at her, her confidence she had acquired earlier significantly diminished.

Staring at the boy as he lifted himself to a sitting position knee-deep in the water, she bit her lip and fidgeted. She bent down and tentatively reached out a hand to him. "Um, are you okay, Uchiha-san?"

He grumbled under his breath glaring daggers at her offered hand, but caught hold of it anyway. He started to lift himself up, but had misjudged his own strength and had conveniently forgot that Hinata was a lot lighter that he is, and as he tugged on her arm to raise himself, he fell down again, pulling Hinata along with him.

There was a loud splash, a grunt from Sasuke and a small yelp from Hinata.

With her eyes shut, she could feel her fingers sink into the thick mud underneath the water, Hinata groaned. Her head had hit something hard, and she was surprised to hear another groan. It seemed to have come from… under her?

Slowly and cautiously, she opened her eyes, and found herself staring straight into deep onyx-colored eyes, much different from her own.

Too overcome with shock, she stayed transfixed on top of Sasuke. Their faces were inches away from each other, their noses almost touching. She could feel his warm breath near her mouth, and if she lowered herself just a little more, she could…

All thoughts went away when he spoke.

"Hyuuga, you might think this highly amusing, but I'd like you to get up now. You're not as light as you think."

Taken aback by his comment, she blushed deeply, embarrassed for herself. She quickly rose to her feet, not bothering to help Sasuke this time. With her back towards him, she started to form an apology, but he beat her to it.

"Training is over for now. We'll start again tomorrow. Same time and place." A pause, and then… "I think you need to change."

It was only at that moment that Hinata realized she was dripping wet from head to toe. Add the fact that the thin jacket she wore was almost transparent. She gasped loudly in realization. She frantically tried covering herself up a bit more, but ended up failing miserably. She could've sworn she heard Sasuke chuckle behind her.

"I'll find some clothes for you. But you'd better wait inside if you don't want to catch a cold."

She peeked at him over her shoulder. He was already walking toward the house, leaving a trail of water behind him. Deciding that it was better to just do as he says, she followed him to the sliding doors leading to the kitchen, and left her wet sandals beside his on the porch. With him a good few meters ahead, they stepped into the hallway. A moment later, he paused beside a door.

Without looking back at her, he said. "You wait in the bathroom. I'll go find some clothes for you."

She watched him disappear into the room at the end of the hall, which she presumed to be his bedroom.

Sighing and with no other choice, she stepped inside the bathroom. It considerably huge and was styled in old fashioned Japanese, and Hinata had to admire the well-maintained bath tub, which almost covered the whole width of the wall. She didn't expect Sasuke to be quite fond of baths. Hoping to find some bath scents he was hiding, she snooped around a bit, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

She went to open it, and staggered back when he forcefully threw some clothes into her arms. "You can leave after you change. You know the way." He shut the door in her face.

Hinata let out a small huff. If he didn't want to help her after all, he could at least be polite about it!

She looked over the small set of clothes he had given her, and then went on to take off her own wet clothes. After a few minutes of changing, she examined herself in the mirror. Clearly, the clothes were too big on her. The bottom of the navy-blue shirt reached her midthighs and her hands had disappeared into the long sleeves. She tugged at the collar to cover the exposed skin just below her neck. The shorts were another problem, but apparently Sasuke had thought about that too. She found a belt that went with it, and had tied it around herself. That should do it.

Hesitantly, she turned towards the door and stepped out into the hall carrying the still wet clothes she had worn. The hallway to her right led to the kitchen she had passed earlier. She turned her head to the left, eyeing the door at the end of the hallway. She had absolutely no doubt it was Sasuke's bedroom. Leaning her head back in the direction of the kitchen, she could hear the faint clicking sound of the stove being turned on. He probably was preparing some tea.

'This is my chance.'

Quietly, she slipped through the hallway and into the bedroom. Once inside, she found herself amazed at how immaculately clean his room was. 'The bath tub and now this? Sasuke must have a cleaning complex.' It was a fairly large room with a queen-sized bed in the middle and a neatly organized desk to one side. She gazed around the room until her eyes rested on the bedside table, which was the only thing that was out of place. The first drawer was left open and several scrolls could be seen cramped inside. Curious, she stepped over to it. Rather, she was about to when the door swiftly burst open without warning.

Turning around, she found herself face to face with the scary Uchiha.

She was suddenly reminded that the two of them were alone in his house and in his bedroom, of all places. She compressed a gulp.

"I didn't know you were the kind to snoop around, Hyuuga."

Her eyes widened in mild panic, while her mind was trying to form a believable lie. She could only stutter in response. "B-but I wasn't-! I mean I… I got lost. And, and I… thought this was the way to the kitchen so…"

She mentally hit herself in the head. Any decent shinobi could come up with a much more convincing lie than that. She supposed Sasuke didn't believe a single word she said, by the way his eyes seemed to glare daggers at her. She fidgeted visibly, digging her toes into the floor.

"Leave. Now."

She didn't need to be told twice.

In a speed that would rival Sasuke using his Sharingan, Hinata slipped out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

When he sure she was out of hearing range, Sasuke approached the open drawer and pulled out the small photo from underneath the scrolls. An amused chuckle escaped his lips.

.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

.

Hinata had begun preparing for her date right after lunch. She tried to get rid of the memory of what happened in Sasuke's house. Of course, she couldn't risk letting somebody find the clothes she wore as she left the Uchiha mansion, so she just hid them in her room, promising to wash them later. For now, she concentrated instead of making herself look great in front of Naruto. She had discussed the plan with Ino earlier and had agreed that she would meet him at a small but lovely restaurant far, far away from Ichiraku's, to prevent Naruto from going wild of course. She really wanted everything to go well.

A few hours later of nonstop fussing, she was finally appropriate enough for her date. She had discarded the usual jacket and pants and opted for lavender kimono-styled top and black knee-length tight shorts. She wanted to be casual enough for Naruto, but not too much.

Feeling the jitters of nervousness in her stomach and all over her body, she quickly headed out and hoped her father won't question her whereabouts. She slipped her sandals on and went out through the gates.

This is the first date she and Naruto will have, although she cheated her way to get it. She thought that this would be the best opportunity to confess to him.

Thinking it might be faster to just leap across the rooftops, she sped her way towards the agreed meeting place, heart pounding in nervousness and excitement. Catching a glimpse of the restaurant up ahead only a few blocks away, she came down the street heading for the small building. She only had to turn one corner, when she heard Naruto's loud voice exclaiming.

"What did you say, Teme?!"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. That could only mean one thing.

She poked her head around the edge of the wall, and sure enough, Sasuke was there.

A soft groan escaped her lips that was almost impossible to hear, but the Uchiha detected it anyway. Quickly, she pulled her head back. Her heart rate seemed to go faster. She breathed hard. Had Sasuke seen her? She really hoped not.

But as usual, like most of the things that had been happening to her lately, her hopes quickly vanished.

"Hiding won't do you any good, Hyuuga."

She formed a string of curses that she might've screamed at him but thought better of it. Timidly, she stepped around the corner and found herself directly in front of Sasuke.

.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

.

A/N: That's it for now. Oh, and be aware that I'll be posting previews of the next chapters in my profile so be sure to take a look at it. And please remember: More reviews, faster updates, longer chapters. Ja!


	4. Chapter 4 Lovely Dates

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I kept turning this chapter upside down, basically changing and rewriting everything until I was satisfied. So here it is!

Jmocha presents:

.

Chapter 4: Lovely Dates

.

Hinata was having her long awaited date with Naruto, and she couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat. The restaurant was everything she had hoped for, small but cozy and with excellent food and catering. Across the table, he was saying something to her but she couldn't quite grasp the words. She had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her.

Discreetly, she gazed at the other customers. At a table far from them, Sasuke was having dinner alone. There was a slight flutter in his hair that seemed to suggest that he had just turned his head.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. He couldn't be the one watching, could he? After all, he had absolutely no reason to.

Earlier, she had found him standing in front of the restaurant talking to her date. At first, she had thought he was going to join them. She began to panic then, but it turned out Sasuke planned on having dinner alone and he had often chosen this restaurant at this particular time, or so he said. Hinata had her doubts.

She riveted her attention back to Naruto. He was saying something about ramen and how much he preferred it over the food here in the restaurant and practically everything else. Once, she had found this very cute and charming, but after years of her pining over him, it had become infuriatingly predictable.

She was bored more than she cared to admit. She had hoped that tonight he would open up to her more. Despite having "observed" him for so many years, all she knew about him was that he was determined and powerful in battle, fond of playing pranks, and loved ramen, lots and lots of them. Aside from that, she knew he was very lonely and wished he could treat her as a special friend, maybe even more.

What started as deep admiration had turned into love. She remembered her plan to confess to him tonight. That thought stirred up the butterflies in her stomach. Will she go through with it?

The dinner finished sooner than expected. There was an argument as to who should pay the bill, she eventually surrendered. Apparently, Naruto wanted to show her he was capable enough making her blush a deep red.

Naruto surprised her even more by pulling her chair back to allow her to stand. He said that he learned it from a romantic movie once, which he was forced to watch. She thought it sweet. Her heart rate increased, but there was still the feeling that someone was watching her, trying to bore holes into the back of her head. In one swift motion, she scanned the restaurant. Sasuke was just finishing up.

She felt a hand on her arm. It was Naruto's, and she relished its warmth. A bright smile lit up his features, and made her blush deeper. She momentarily forgot about her problem. He led her out of the restaurant.

The cool night air felt wonderful against her skin, and her nervousness ebbed away. She felt his warm hand still touching her arm and it sent a series of tingles throughout her entire body. Her head was spinning and she was afraid she'd faint. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. That seemed to help.

They paused just outside the door, and when Hinata faced him, she found clear blue eyes staring at her own. When had they gotten so close?

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she hoped Naruto couldn't hear it. She felt her face growing warmer and warmer, getting dizzier by the moment. Gulping another deep breath, she mustered up her courage. Now was the time to confess.

"U-um, N-n-naruto.." She scolded herself for stuttering too much. There was a questioning look in his eyes, and she almost lost herself in them again.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?"

She gulped. This was it. Finally.

She would confess.

Fighting the temptation to run and keeping her head from spinning, she clenched her fists and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her knuckles had turned white but she ignored it. There was a loud pounding in her chest, and she felt her heart was about to explode. This time, she was sure Naruto had heard it.

In one single breath, she said. "Iloveyou!"

The silence that followed was deafening. All Hinata could hear was her rapidly beating heart and nothing else. She wondered if Naruto had heard her at all, so she repeated more slowly.

"I-I…love…you."

She dared not look at him but she felt him drop her arm. Her nervousness came back and it turned into fear. She doubted she could handle his rejection. Several thoughts rushed into her mind.

Will he accept her feelings? Will this destroy their friendship? Would he talk to her again? She could not bear to think about it.

She could hear him whisper something to her, so uncharacteristic of his usually loud voice. What he said made her heart plummet to the ground.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan, I just can't… Sorry." There was a tremble when he spoke, and she knew he felt very awkward. He bit his lower lip and scratched the back of his head, but she would not look at him. She couldn't. Her heart was just broken to pieces. Even if she knew right from the start that he didn't love her, it still hurt to hear him say it.

When he received no response, he said to her, "I…can still walk you home… if you want."

She knew he only asked her that out of pity. Her eyes were close and she bit her lip. Gathering all her strength, she shook her head.

Her chest hurt and her eyes stung. Tears were threatening to fall, but he would not see her cry.

"O-okay… if that's you want." He scratched his head again and stared at the ground, unsure of what else to say. "Then, I'll be going now."

Her eyes were stinging and getting red, so she looked away. He only spoke two more words before he left.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

Only after he disappeared did she allow herself to cry. Dropping to her knees, she began to sob. Her chest hurt so much. It was difficult to even breathe. The night air felt much colder, piercing her skin. The thin fabric of her clothing didn't do much help. She began to shiver.

She could faintly hear the sound of a bell as the door to the restaurant swung open. Suddenly, a large piece of heavy cloth dropped on her head. It was someone's jacket. A voice of a male sounded behind her.

"I didn't think you were stupid enough to forget your own jacket, Hyuuga."

Shocked, she turned her head around to find Sasuke towering behind her. Her sobbing stopped and she welcomed this momentary distraction.

"S-sasuke!"

She quickly wiped her tears but it was too late. he had already seen them. She heard him sigh and without a word, grabbed her waist and swept her up in one smooth motion. Hinata could only gasp in surprise.

With a burst of chakra through his feet, he leapt off from roof to roof. She squirmed against him, but knew that it would be dangerous to let go so she just held on. She closed her eyes to keep the dizziness away. She didn't know where he was taking her nor did she understand why, but somehow in the back of her mind, she trusted him. She felt Sasuke jumping higher and higher, and the temperature getting colder. She wrapped his jacket tighter around herself.

With him so close, she could smell his scent. It was alluring even without cologne. The warmth of his body comforted her, and for a single moment, the want of being with him like this forever entered her mind. She didn't understand why she felt that way but she could find no answer to her questions.

A few more leaps later, they stopped.

Sasuke set her down still holding her waist, and she finally opened her eyes. Surprised and confused white eyes met dark ones, but before Hinata could get entranced by them, Sasuke turned away. There was a slight hesitation in his movement. His fingers lingered a bit when he let go, which only added to Hinata's confusion. He stepped away from her and crouched down on the ground.

Still not knowing where she was, she turned around. Before her was a bird's-eye view of Konoha, the roofs of the buildings visible under the moonlight. A gasp escaped her lips.

They were on Hokage mountain!

She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

"I often come here to train."

His voice was free of its usual arrogance, to her surprise. Sasuke sat with his right knee bent and his right arm resting on it. The soft moonlight lit his features and drew shadows on the angles of his face, making it seem more dramatic. Hinata was mesmerized.

"It's peaceful here."

She agreed.

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her so she sat down just a few feet away from him. She raised her head to look at the sky. There were no stars and dark clouds were looming ahead. The moon was barely visible now. She suspected it was going to rain. Even so, neither of them was in a hurry to go home.

"You can… scream all you like. No one will hear you because the wind will just blow the words away." Sasuke turned to look at her, and as if by some magnetic force, she returned his gaze. "I know you don't get to do that often."

And it was true.

She was a little nervous about it but decided to give it a try. But what would she say? Thinking back on her date that night, she suddenly knew. After setting herself upright, she breathed in deeply, hardened her resolve, and before she could take back her decision, she screamed.

"NARUTO, YOU STUPID IDIOT! I HATE YOU FOR BREAKING MY HEART! YOU'RE SO STUPID, NARUTOOO!"

The words drifted in the air just like Sasuke said. Her throat ached and her lungs nearly out of breath, but she felt wonderful. The wind blew against her face and she welcomed its coolness. Tears streaked down her face but a smile was present on her lips. She had never felt so relieved.

"That wasn't bad for a first try."

He was standing beside her now and when she faced him, the smile was still there. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

There was no reply, but she didn't expect one. He gave her no other comforting words or gestures. The silence was soothing enough.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A lone pink-haired girl grumbled under her breath as she walked along a street. It was already past nine in the evening and only very few shops were still open. Her mother had a stomach ache again with no medicine left in the house, so Sakura was asked to go to a drugstore and buy some. She huffed and muttered angrily, "That old woman deserved it for eating too much rice."

The only available drugstore at this time of night was the one near the hospital, which was several blocks from her house. She contemplated going back and telling the old hag that the store had closed early. But she had already walked half the route so she decided she would just buy the medicine, grumbling along the way.

She saw the drugstore up ahead two blocks away and hastened her steps. The store owner was outside and had begun to close up. She ran to get there in time but as passed a corner, she was suddenly thrown to the ground.

"Sakura-chan, it's you! I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

She recognized the voice immediately. It was Naruto.

He held out a hand to her and helped her up. He apologized again but in a softer voice. She was confused now and noticed that he was fidgeting.

"Naruto? I think you're the one who's not okay. What happened?"

His eyes widened when he looked up. Clearly, there was something wrong. She could see that plainly in his expression. He quickly sprung up an excuse.

"Nothing, Sakura-chan!" He stepped back and was gesturing wildly with his hands. "I was just on my way home so, um, goodnight!"

In a split second, he ran and disappeared. She was so puzzled by his behavior that she almost missed the drugstore owner leave. Turning sharply, she bolted to the store.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sasuke walked Hinata to her house, and she was grateful to him. Neither had said a word, but it wasn't awkward at all. She still had not completely forgotten Naruto's rejection, but she knew she would get over it soon. Sasuke had surprisingly helped her and she felt very much in debt to him.

The air was almost freezing. Hinata glanced at Sasuke to find him slightly shivering. She felt guilty that she had to wear his jacket when she forgot to bring her own. Timidly, she moved closer to him, their arms brushing against each other. If Sasuke was startled, he showed no indication of it. His face was as passive as always.

Their fingers were touching, and she felt electricity surge up her arm to her shoulders. She expected him to move away. Instead, he grasped her hand. She stumbled, which only prompted Sasuke to make his hold firmer. The side of her head touched his shoulder, and a blush spread across her cheeks.

His hand felt warm wrapped around hers. It made her insides turn to goo. She felt silly. Her logical self reasoned he had only meant to comfort her and to keep himself warm. He didn't like her that way.

They were nearing the Hyuuga compound. She could see its tall gates. There were a few things she wanted to ask before they would separate. She figured she could do that now.

She tugged on his hand to catch his attention. He peered at her questioningly. "Sasuke, why did you choose me to train you? I mean, Sakura is much better than I am."

But the only reply she got was a grunt that could have meant anything and a statement saying they had already arrived.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sakura let out a sigh in relief. In her hand was a bag full of medicine. At the very last minute, she had caught up to the owner and had managed to persuade him to sell her some. It wasn't an easy thing to do.

It was getting colder and the sky seemed like it was going to rain. She decided to just run to her house. But before she could, she saw two figures standing in front of a huge gate. Sakura hid herself behind a building. It was too dark but she noticed their linked hands. She assumed they were a couple. Her head strained to get a better view but they were facing away from her so she couldn't recognize them.

The girl was saying something but she couldn't make out the words. The guy didn't say anything in reply. After a moment, the gate opened and the girl entered and when she turned to bid him goodnight, Sakura squinted her eyes and realized that it was Hinata.

This certainly grabbed the pink-haired girl's interest, and she was curious as to who the guy could be. It certainly wasn't Naruto because she just bumped into him a while ago. The gate closed and the guy started to turn away. Sakura swallowed in anticipation. But what she saw made her heart sink.

It was Sasuke.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: So did not mean for it to be so sad, but anyway, review! A preview of the next chapter will be ready on my profile in a moment.


	5. Chapter 5 Cake Mix

A/N: This is sort of a special chapter dedicated to my wonderful reviewers. Thank you guys!

And now…

proudly presents:

-

Chapter 5: Cake Mix

-

It was another day of missions for Team seven, and Kakashi was late, yet again. So when he arrived hours later, he expected the usual accusatory "You're late!" from Naruto and Sakura, but to Kakashi's shock, they showed not a single indication that they had even noticed him. This worried him greatly.

The usually hyperactive blonde was for once, very quiet. He was frowning, seemingly in deep thought. A few times, his face crunched up in an emotion that seemed to suggest guilt, for a reason Kakashi has yet to know. Sakura, who would normally be yelling at either him or Naruto and swooning at Sasuke, was currently crouched low on the ground hugging her knees and surrounded by a dark aura. Again, Kakashi wanted to know why.

Only Sasuke seemed to be normal.

As of now.

Sounds were heard in the woods behind Kakashi. There was a bark and soft giggling and someone shouting, "Get off of Hinata-chan, Akamaru!" Sasuke's eyes immediately darted past his head. Team eight had just passed by. A barely detectable blush adorned itself on the Uchiha's pale cheeks.

Kakashi nearly flipped out.

It was clear that the other two members had heard them too. Naruto stood rigid with his arms stiff at his sides, looking like he was ready to flee at any moment. The aura around Sakura seemed to intensify and when she looked up, Kakashi could see her eyes glowering. Best not to bother her, he decided.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Team seven was on a mission today. That allowed Hinata to have a day off from training with Sasuke, and she made good use of it. At early afternoon after training with her own team, the kitchen at the Hyuuga compound was cleared of cooks and only Hinata and her two teammates were there.

They were baking cakes.

Well, Hinata was. Kiba was the self-proclaimed 'taster', and Shino… refused to come near anything made with sugar. Hinata wondered why.

The kitchen table was filled with an amazing amount of ingredients that not a piece of the tabletop could be seen. Kiba and Shino sat on opposite sides, while Hinata was busily mixing the batter on the counter beside the sink. There was no room left for her on the table.

After she was satisfied with the batter, she handed a spoonful to an eagerly waiting Kiba. Akamaru sat on the floor beside him wagging its tail, apparently awaiting its turn. She watched as he licked the spoon and after a few moments, he grimaced and handed the spoon back to her. "Needs more sugar. Lots of it."

She sighed, grabbing the bag of sugar, and adding one full cup into the batter. Shino eyed her the whole time, or more specifically the cup of sugar. And was it her imagination or did he just become extremely tense? It was hard to tell behind that bulk of clothes he was wearing. Whatever his problem, she was determined to find out.

She was just mixing the sugar in when Kiba spoke up. "You know, Hinata,.." he paused, seemingly unsure if he should continue.

This piqued her curiosity. She urged him to go on, still stirring the batter.

Kiba averted his eyes from her and scratched his ears. "I… uh… heard you've been spending time with the Uchiha lately…"

Her eyes widened at the statement, and her hands stopped moving as bits of batter splashed on the countertop. Trying to compose herself, she turned her back from her teammates and concentrated on the batter. And of course, being Hinata, composure wasn't a strong point. "W-where did you hear that from?"

She swore she heard a small cough from Shino's direction.

"It doesn't matter where I heard it from, Hinata. Is it true?"

"I-I uh.." She swallowed hard, wiping off the sweat that rolled down the side of her face. Her arm was stirring the batter vigorously now, which didn't escape her two teammates' attention. "I-I've been training with him… That's all." Which was half-true.

Kiba shared a suspicious glance with Shino over the mountain of ingredients on the table. She thought there was more he wanted to say. Kiba was never quiet.

"Hey, you still like Naruto, right?"

For a quick moment, her eyes moved to his direction and back. "U-um…" It was still a sore subject to her. Her teammates weren't told yet. She guessed this was the right time. The sooner the better.

"H-he… rejected me."

Kiba and Shino tensed up and the atmosphere was suddenly awkward. It was Kiba who spoke for the both of them. "We're so sorry, Hinata-chan,…"

She threw them a smile over her shoulder, which didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's alright. Can we… talk about something else?"

The two willingly obliged. She sighed in relief and went back to her mixing.

"What about Sasuke?"

This came as a shock to her. Of all the things Kiba could've chosen, why this?

"Wha-? What do you mean?"

"Well, Shino…" Kiba gazed pointedly at said teammate. "…and I saw you two together yesterday… alone."

Hinata sighed. She had been afraid this was going to happen. Her team wasn't called a reconnaissance team for nothing. She suspected it was Shino who did all the work. Leave it to him to do all the sneaking.

But still, she wanted to play innocent. "I-I told you, Kiba-kun. We were out t-training."

"_Training_ huh?" It was obvious he didn't' believe a word she said. "In the middle of the night?"

Without missing a beat she said, "Yes."

She chanced a quick look at them. Kiba leaned back on his chair and placed both his hands behind his head. Shino sat quietly, still as ever.

"I dunno, Hinata-chan. You _have_ been acting strangely the past few days."

"I-I have not."

"Yeah? What about when we trained this morning? You were so out of it Kurenai had to call it off early. It's not like you at all to daze off during _any_ kind of training."

She had no answer to that. And before she could fully muse about what he said, Kiba grabbed the bowl of the over-stirred batter from her hands, taking a spoonful of the concoction into his mouth.

"Much better."

Akamaru was scratching his pant legs, and Kiba reached out the spoon to him. The dog wagged its tail in delight. "Heh, you like that too, huh? Hey, Shino, wanna try?"

xXxXxXxXxXx

With all the oddities of Team seven, their day wasn't very productive. They were given a D-class mission of painting someone's house. It would have been simple and quick if Naruto hadn't been so clumsy and spilled most of the paint. Sakura hadn't helped either, refusing to come near Sasuke, to Kakashi's great confusion. The Uchiha, on the other hand, was frequently in a daze and hadn't done much work. All in all, the mission was a wreck as well as the next one, and the one after that, and the next.

By the fifth time they failed, it was almost nightfall and Kakashi decided to let the team off for the day.

Without a word, the genin went their separate ways, leaving their teacher in a state of an ever increasing confusion.

xXxXxXxXxXx

After unsuccessfully coaxing Shino into tasting one bit of the sweet batter and with nothing else to do, Kiba joined Hinata with baking. She insisted he wear the pink apron, for sanitation, of course. And when he asked where the other non-pink aprons were, she simply said there were none. When it was clear that Hinata was serious, he begrudgingly wore the frilly pink apron embellished with a picture of Hello Kitty on the front.

From a corner of the kitchen, Akamaru let out a whimper seeing his master's plight. Shino smirked and Hinata suppressed a laugh.

Then, an idea struck her. Her giggles intensified. She whispered conspiratorially to Shino, whose smirk became wider with each giggle Hinata released. Kiba was suspicious now.

"What're you two-"

"I'll be back in a minute. I'll just get something from my room." And with that, Hinata exited the kitchen, ignoring Kiba's shouts behind her.

He turned towards his other teammate who played cool and didn't say a thing. Shino's collar covered his mouth, but it was clear he was sniggering. The buzzing from under his jacket indicated that the bugs were excited, often a sign that their master was laughing.

Just as promised, Hinata came back and in her hands was a camera.

Kiba immediately knew what she was about to do. "Don't you dare, Hinata!"

But she wasn't listening to him and when she lifted the camera and placed her finger on the button, Kiba leapt to reach for it. He wasn't watching where he was going, and as a result, smashed into the table, spilling milk, flour and eggs on the floor… and on himself.

There was a click followed by flash, and Kiba just stood there covered with batter from head to toe, spilling drops of the sticky substance on the kitchen floor.

Silence followed. Akamaru hid behind a red-faced Hinata who was covering her mouth trying to contain her laughter. And when it was clear that she wasn't about to say anything, Shino spoke the first time since entering the kitchen.

"I'm sorry you had to ruin your pink apron, Kiba. Those frills accentuated your curves perfectly."

That did it. Hinata burst out laughing.

Kiba turned towards his traitorous teammates, and glared hard. The Inuzuka thought he'd never kill someone from his "pack". He guessed this would be the first time.

oOoOoOoOo

A/N: I really don't know how to bake a cake. If I were in this story, I'd probably be Kiba… or Akamaru.

What is happening to Team seven?

Is Hinata actually falling for Sasuke?

And more importantly…

Why is Shino afraid of sugar?

More drama (and comedy) next chapter. Don't forget to review!


	6. Chapter 6 Cookie Rumble

A/N: To make up for the late update, I made a longer chapter this time. Actually, this chapter could be much longer. I divided it into two. Next one is not done yet.

-

Chapter 6: Cookie Rumble I

-

The sun had yet to rise, and most of Konoha was still asleep. However, on the main kitchen of the Hyuuga compound, a girl was darting here and there, simultaneously muttering and wrapping a handful of cookies in a square piece of cloth. Yesterday, after Team 8 finally finished baking the cake, it was completely devoured by Akamaru. Hinata felt bad about leaving Kiba and Shino with nothing, although the latter insisted that it was okay. With the extra ingredients, Hinata baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and sugarfree ones for Shino.

And maybe, she could give some to Sasuke, too.

As thanks, of course.

"Onee-san?*"

Hinata was startled out of her thoughts. Clad only in her pajamas, Hanabi stood at the kitchen doorway.

"H-Hanabi?! W-what are you doing up so early?"

The younger Hyuuga stifled a yawn. It was clear she had just woken up. "I should ask you the same thing, Nee-san."

Hinata flinched. She really couldn't tell Hanabi about her training sessions with Sasuke. He might get mad. It would hurt his pride after all. That he, the 'Legendary Uchiha', was being taught by the shy quiet Hinata Hyuuga was a great blow to his ego. But…

She couldn't lie either. Her sister would know right away. So what could she do?

"Nee-san? What are these bags for?" Hanabi pointed to the remaining bags Hinata still hadn't placed in the basket.

Quickly grabbing the opportunity to steer away from the previous question, she stuttered out a reply. "U-um… T-They're cookies I made for Kiba and Shino."

"Cookies?"

Hinata nodded. "Would… would you like some, Hanabi-chan? There are still some left. I put them in a jar. I could…"

"No, it's okay. I'll get some for myself later." Hanabi waved off the offer, taking out a glass from a cupboard. "I just came here for a glass of water."

"O-okay."

The younger Hyuuga walked across the kitchen to the sink, and paused.

Hinata blinked.

"I-is there something wrong?"

Hanabi raised her eyebrows and threw her sister a confused look as if she was expecting something.

"Shouldn't you be going now?"

"Eh?"

The younger Hyuuga shrugged, and then turned around pouring herself a glass of water. "You looked like you were in a hurry a while ago so I thought…"

Hinata froze.

She glanced at the clock. It read 6:17.

Eep!

She was _late_!

She was so occupied with Hanabi she didn't even notice she was that late already. Thoughts of Sasuke strangling her to death entered her mind, along with other terrible things he will do to her once she arrives at his place. It certainly won't be a pretty sight.

Hanabi watched as her sister scrambled across the kitchen grabbing the remaining bags of cookies and putting them in the basket. It was quite amusing really. Her sister did funny things sometimes.

Throwing a quick wave and a hurried "SeeyoulaterHanabichan!", Hinata went out in a sprint.

xXxXxXxXxXx

The Yamanaka flower shop was full of blooms and empty of customers. Ino was just cleaning up. The shop won't be open for another hour and she getting bored. She sat on the counter and twirled a lock of blond hair around her finger. Her eyes were blinking and feeling very heavy. She rubbed her eyes trying to fight the sleepiness away. The aroma of the flowers didn't help. A yawn later, her head dropped on the table with a thud. She fell asleep.

A series of soft snores escape her lips and she was dreaming of Sasuke and herself on the beach walking along the shore at sunset. It was the perfect setting, the perfect date, with the perfect man. He was saying sweet words to her, and she squealed in delight when he suddenly bent down on one knee and…

BANG!

Ino's head shot up.

"INNOOO~!!!!"

"Huh, wha-?" The blonde's eyes were still half-closed. She looked around rapidly for the source of disruption. A pink blob flew in front of her and she immediately knew who it was. Fully awake now, she glared at Sakura.

"This better be important, Forehead-girl. I was having the most wonderful dream and you just ruined it."

Sakura sighed. "If it's about Sasuke-kun, then you better forget about it."

"What?! No way!" The blonde slapped the table and stood up, glared at the pink-haired girl in front of her. "If you're just here to pick a fight then you-"

"I'm not, Ino."

There was complete seriousness in those words that, for a moment, Ino was taken aback speechless. She narrowed her eyes at Sakura. "What are you talking about? Why are you here?"

Sakura tugged a lock of her pink hair, and seemed like she was hesitating. A moment of silence passed, only confusing the blonde more and more. Suddenly, Ino couldn't take it any longer, but before she could utter a word, Sakura burst out screaming.

"INOOOOOO!!!!" The pink-haired girl wailed as she grabbed the shocked blonde by the shoulders.

"Sakura! Calm down! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Ino eyed the girl worriedly. Her screaming, thankfully, died down but her body was shaking. The poor girl was in tears and Ino still didn't know why.

"Sasuke… He…" Sakura was muttering something under her breath. Her voice was too low that the blonde had to lean closer to hear.

Straining her ears, she caught the end of one the sentences, and gasped.

"…date with Hinata."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"What're those?"

Hinata looked at Sasuke through bewildered eyes, holding up a small bag before him. She rechecked its contents and brought it to him again, raising an amused eyebrow this time.

"Uh, they're… cookies, Uchiha-san." She spoke to him in a voice as if he was a three-year-old child, which apparently unnerved him judging by the glare she was receiving. She tried to ignore it. She was lucky enough for not getting yelled at for her tardiness. Perhaps he was in a good mood..?

"You haven't seen cookies before?"

Sasuke grunted, a bit annoyed.

"Of course I have, idiot." It was Hinata's turn to glare. Sasuke snatched the bag of cookies from her. "What I meant was what _kind_ of cookies?"

"Oh! They're chocolate chip." She watched him as he examined one cookie and took a bite. A satisfied smile lit up his face. She beamed. They were having a small break from training that morning, or rather, Sasuke got too frustrated with a technique he can't do and practically demanded a rest. She didn't have the energy to argue.

"They're good."

Hinata allowed herself a little boasting.

"I baked them yesterday after the cake I made with Kiba and Shino."

Sasuke paused in mid bite and stared at her as if she had grown an extra head or two. An eyebrow rose. She sighed.

"I can _assure_ you that there are no ticks or any kind of bug in those cookies. Only _I_ baked them. Kiba was too clumsy, and Shino… doesn't like sugar."

Deeming her explanation plausible, he popped another cookie in his mouth. Crumbs fell on his shirt as he chewed, and despite herself, Hinata found this very adorable. She bit her bottom lip to suppress a giggle.

After that episode with Naruto and the whole scene on the Hokage Monument, she learned to open up to him. At first she was a little reluctant. She still thought of him as very rude and intimidating, but inexplicably she found some comfort in him. Maybe it was because he was the first one there after Naruto's rejection. He was certainly nicer then, which had perplexed her for a while but thought nothing of it. She reasoned that Sasuke felt sympathy for her. After all, who wouldn't?

Everyone knew she had a crush for Naruto for years now. His rejection was not unexpected, but it didn't mean she was prepared for it. She was grateful Sasuke was there. Otherwise, she would have lost her mind right then.

Sasuke.

He was kinder to her now, even abandoned his death glares and snide comments, well, not _completely_, but reduced at least.

"Hyuuga."

She was startled out of her thoughts, her heart almost leapt to her mouth. She turned to face him. "Y-yes?"

"You can… leave now. The training's over for today." His eyes were not directed at her when he spoke, and his voice had a hint of an unfathomable emotion underneath its impassiveness.

"W-what? But we haven't even gone through all the basic techniques yet. You can't just-"

"I have another mission with my team today."

"Oh." Her heart sank, and she was baffled by it. Was it disappointment? About what? That her training with Sasuke would be cut off early?

She stifled a small laugh. Impossible. She was _glad_ it ended early. At last, she could have a well-deserved rest.

She was relieved and happy.

Right?

xXxXxXxXxXx

Ichiraku's was brimming with customers, and bowls were almost running out, mainly because there was one customer who just kept going at it.

Beside an orange-clad blond-haired boy were fourteen empty bowls of ramen licked clean. An older white-haired masked man sitting beside him was morosely hugging his wallet, which was also apparently empty.

"Hey, Naruto, when I said I'd treat you to lunch, I didn't mean getting me broke."

It was useless. His student wasn't listening. His attention was completely centered on his food.

Kakashi sighed. He'd try a different tactic.

"You don't seem like your usual self…" Naruto was still slurping away, ignoring him. "Girl problems?"

Spuuurt!

Hm, it worked.

The blonde wiped off the noodles that got onto his shirt, muttering a string of curse words like "!#$ sensei! Why couldn't he just #$%ing keep his $% mouth shut?! %&$#!!"

Kakashi coughed.

"So it's true?"

Naruto shot him a glare that could rival Sasuke's. Speaking of which…

There he is now.

"Yo, Sasuke!" Kakashi waved him over, and the boy reluctantly approached.

Before the dark-haired could reach them, Naruto was up on his feet. He thanked his teacher and started to leave. Kakashi grabbed him by the back of his jump suit.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I-oof-I just want to-ugh-Would you please let go?!"

Kakashi shrugged. "If you say so."

He released his hold, which sent Naruto flying and onto the ground. The blonde scrambled to his feet and ran off.

"What's up with him?" Sasuke spoke up behind Kakashi.

"Don't know. You tell me."

The dark-haired boy merely grunted and took Naruto's previously occupied seat. Something was obviously bothering the team. Kakashi already had an inkling of what it might be, but he couldn't be too sure. He already missed his chance with Naruto, but he wouldn't let this one go to waste.

"Seriously, Sasuke, I need to know."

"Hn."

Kakashi sighed. "That's not an answer."

"Hn."

"Really, that's irritating."

"Hn."

He resisted the urge to kill his student right then and there. He must figure out a way to make the boy confess. Knowing the Uchiha, he'd probably need Ibiki to do that. But right now, he had to at least try. He could always try that tactic again.

"Girl problems?"

Twitch.

Ha! Works every time.

"So who is it?"

Twitch. Twitch.

"Let me guess. From your unusual behavior yesterday, I guess it could only be…" Kakashi tapped his chin with his index finger pretending to think. "Ah!"

Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

"…Hinata?"

TwitchTwitchTwitchTwitchTwitchTwitch-Crack-

"Uh, Sasuke, please let go of the bowl. You might break it."

Black eyes narrowed at him like daggers cutting through the air.

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun. No need to hide it. You like her, don't you?"

"Che."

Kakashi smiled to himself. The boy wouldn't openly admit it, yet. But it was clear that he liked the Hyuuga. "So how bad is it?"

Sasuke ordered a bowl of ramen to keep from responding. Kakashi smirked.

Oh, he was in loooove!

"That bad huh?" No response. He contemplated for a second, and then took something out from his pocket. "I can lend you some pointers if you want." He tapped the little orange book he just pulled out.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow unbelievingly.

"There are some really cool ways on how to impress girls in it."

Ignored.

"Oh, come on. It isn't that bad."

Sasuke paid up for the food and turned to leave, completely ignoring his teacher.

"I'm assuming you have plans on how to get Hinata then."

Almost immediately, the dark-haired boy stopped in his tracks, rigid.

Kakashi's smirk widened, and watched as Sasuke walked back, snatched the little orange book, and then turned back again to leave, still ignoring his teacher's gigantic smirk.

"Just remember to give it back to me on Monday!"

oOoOoOoOo

A/N: "Onee-san" - big sister

A hint to the plot: Sasuke is a big liar. Go figure.

What is Sasuke going to do with that book? Oh my!

There's still a Shino scene next chapter. Heehee.

Review please? With sugar on top? (Shino: "NO SUGAR!")


End file.
